One Two Ka Four

Producer: Nazir Ahmed
Director: K. Shashilal Nair
Starring: Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Jackie Shroff
Music: A.R. Rahman
Lyrics: Majrooh Sultanpuri and Mehboob
Singers: Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, Lata Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan, Poonam Bhatia, Srinivas, Rageshwari, Sukhwinder Singh, Shaan, Clinton
Audio on: RPG
Number of Songs: 8

Finally! The soundtrack of K. Shashilal Nair's film, One 2 Ka 4, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, and Jackie Shroff, has been released. And the music is quite worth the wait. Composed by music maestro A. R. Rahman, the album features eight tracks, sung by the likes of Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, Lata Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan, and many others. With lyrics by the late Majrooh Sultanpuri and Mehboob, the album is another excellent effort by Rahman.

The album begins with the haunting, yet immediately catchy, Khamoshiyan Gungunane Lagi, sung by Sonu Nigam and Lata Mangeshkar. Never has Lata sounded so beautiful. Rahman has extracted such youthful vocals from Lata Mangeshkar, a woman whose singing skills have yet to be surpassed by another. Lately, her voice in several other films sounded a bit aged, but she is back with the same fervor that she demonstrated in her heydays. As expected, Sonu Nigam sounds great, proving his vocal versatility and genius. The album features two versions of this song, one slightly different from the other in terms of lyrics, which have been penned by Mehboob. The song reminded me a lot of Rahman's composition for Pukar, Kismat Se Tum Humko.

The next song is Sona Nahi Na Sahi, sung by duo Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik. This is Alka's fourth time working with A.R. Rahman (after Kabhi Na Kabhi, Taal, and Zubeidaa), and she sounds amazing. Her voice is mellifluous as always, while Udit Narayan is quite captivating himself. The song is a love song, but with an A. R. Rahman stamp that makes it sound unique.

Next is I Am Sorry, which features Udit Narayan, Srinivas, and Poonam Bhatia. The music for this composition is awesome, although the lyrics themselves may not be that extraordinary. Rahman has done a wonderful job with Udit Narayan's voice in this song, which has been rearranged to sound as if two Udit Narayans are singing during the refrain. Poonam Bhatia is competent, and her voice sounds a bit like other Rahman protégés like Mahalakshmi and Swarnlatha. It is nice to see Rehman introducing new singers to the Hindi music scene. Srinivas's voice is also nice to listen to, but is overshadowed by Udit's far superior voice.

The fourth song is Haye Dil Ki Bazi Laga, another love song sung by Alka Yagnik and Sonu Nigam. Sonu Nigam does a fine job with the song, making it another Rahman gem. Alka sounds nice, but at times, sounds as if she is stretching her vocals.

Sonu Nigam accompanies Rageshwari in the next song, Osaka Muraiya. Don't ask what the title of the song means because I have no clue. The music is nice, but the lyrics are average (beauty meri evergreen). Sonu again demonstrates his versatility, which is basically what saves this song from spelling doom. Basically, this track is purely a situational song, which probably sounds better when seen on screen.

Sukhwinder Singh joins Shaan in Allay Allay, which is another situational song. This one is pleasant on the ears and is fun to listen to. Both singers complement one another so well that sometimes their voices blend right in with each other. The chorus features a bunch of kids, which makes sense considering the film stars four kids.

Finally, the album ends with the title song, One Two Ka Four, sung by Clinton. Although the music is nowhere near the brilliance of the title song in Rangeela or even the Thump of Daud, it is still way above average. The music has nice beats, with a few lyrics here and there. Actually, the music has been used in the film's television advertisements, adding to the overall appeal of the ads and making them appear much more catchy.

2001 has begun with a bang, brought to you by A. R. Rahman. The music for K. Shashilal Nair's "One Two Ka Four" is excellent, especially the track sung by Lata Mangeshkar and Sonu Nigam. Rehman proves once again that with his music, one can never fail to be excited. The soundtrack is definitely worth a buy. Hopefully, the film will be an even bigger treat, which would be nice for the very appealing Shah Rukh Khan-Juhi Chawla duo.